The best shops to buy Christmas decorations

Listen now: Local bands release a Christmas compilation, 'A City Without Snow'

While Singapore keeps dreaming of a white Christmas that will never arrive (Snow City doesn't count), local record label Middle Class Cigars has dropped a compilation album for the season. The aptly titled A City Without Snow features nine homegrown musicians putting their spin on traditional carols and yuletide standards, with a few even penning originals themed around the holidays.

What's on in Singapore this week

Art

Story of the Forest

From the same people behind Future World, this art installation brings to life sixty-nine works from the William Farquhar Collection of National History Drawings within the museum’s Glass Rotunda. Look forward to roving animals, digital flora and seasonal weather in an expansive forest created by Japanese digital art collective teamLab.

ZoukOut

Get ready all you party people, because the annual beach blowout is back and it's bringing well-known international DJs such as Hardwell, Martin Garrix and Zedd to grace the decks. This year's line-up also includes indie-electronic project RAC, British electronic duo Snakehips, the freshest queen of dance music TOKiMONSTA and British-Norwegian music producer Alan Walker.
The local and regional roster features familiar names like KoFlow, Lincey, Maurice Simon, Goldfish & Blink, and gogo-dancing troupe CyberJapan Dancers. So you can expect a weekend of non-stop partying for sure.

Bill Bailey - 'Larks in Transit'

The British comedian returns to Singapore after a sold-out show here back in 2014. This time armed with tales and jokes about travellers, derived from Bailey’s long list of stories culled from 20 years as a travelling comedian. You may even hear a little quip about an 'excruciating' encounter with the one and only Sir Paul McCartney.

Public Garden Christmas 2016

There's still time for a last minute roundup of Christmas gifts. At this annual Christmas fair helmed by Public Garden, discover unique finds presented by local and regional sellers from cities like Chiang Mai, Bali, Jakarta, Brunei and Bangkok. Goods range from stationery and art to accessories, apparels and beauty, so you won’t leave empty handed. Look out for pop-up cards and paper paraphernalia by Paper.Therapy, original two-way tote-and-bucket bags by noise.design and DIY craft kits by the homegrown crafters at Shù.

The Nutcracker

Singapore Dance Theatre brings a reprise of The Nutcracker for this year’s holiday season. Last performed three years ago, the performance transplants the quintessentially Christmas classic to pre-WWI Shanghai. Celebrate the festive spirit with choreography and staging by SDT’s artistic director Janek Schergen, and music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

Bounceoff Fiesta

For the young at heart who still look longingly at bouncy inflatable castles, your time has come. Conquer and bounce on more than 15 massive inflatable obstacles, trampolines and slides along Marina Bay. For those looking for a rush of adrenaline, take a leap of faith and launch yourself off a blob before hopping off to the Feast zone where a range of cusine such as Thai, Korean and local fare are offered. We heard there'll be a foam pool and giant inflatable beer pong table, too.

New restaurants and bars in SG

Birds of a Feather

Western dishes get a Sichuan twist at Birds of a Feather, a new café and bar sprouting up on Amoy Street. Inspired by the laid-back teahouses of Chengdu, the café tastefully makes use of lush greenery and eclectic design pieces to create a space you won't mind unwinding at from morning 'til late. The lunch menu features lighter bites like the roasted chicken and avocado salad with Sichuan pepper ($18-$20), and oriental bolognese ($20). Dinner is a decadent affair, with dishes like the hot and sour chazuke ($28), a light and mildly spicy broth that's poured over a bed of Niigata rice and charcoal-grilled barramundi.

Sawadee Thai (new menu)

For the past few decades, Sawadee Thai has been serving authentic Thai food in Singapore – saving you a two-hour trip to Bangkok when cravings strike. The recently renovated restaurant is modern and comfortable, allowing you to enjoy an array of dishes in a relaxed setting. You’ll definitely find the standard tom yum soup and mango sticky rice on the menu, but why not try something different for once? Meat lovers will like the pan-seared black Angus beef rib-eye ($32) that's served with a homemade green curry sauce. As Thais tend to eat their beef medium to well-done, be sure to let your server know your preferred doneness to avoid disappointment. End the meal with the mao shan wang durian sticky rice ($12) that’s available year round.

Kam's Roast

Hong Kong’s Kam’s Roast Goose flagship outlet has been on the Michelin hit list for the past three years – and you can now have a taste of it in Singapore. Unfortunately, since the restaurant is unable to find a reliable goose supplier in Singapore, it will serve roast duck ($16.80-$55) instead. While not as tender and juicy as the original, it's the closest you'll get without having to buy a ticket to Hong Kong. Other types of roasted meats are available, including suckling pig ($34.80-$248) and 'toro' char siew ($22.80), a fattier cut of char siew. Some dishes like the braised noodle with ginger scallion ($6.80) – served with noodles flown in daily from Hong Kong – are available exclusively at this branch.

Monti

Taking over the space voided by Catalunya, at Fullerton Pavilion, is this swanky Italian restaurant and bar that's pulsing with life by the bay. Indulge in chef Luigi Calcagno's creations including the Signor Monti ($52), a grilled monkfish fillet wrapped in pancetta, and the risotto cacio e pepe ($39) that is finished in a wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano, topped with black truffle tableside. Every night when the clock strikes 9pm, resident DJs Adam Sky, Stephen Day, Tirso Garcia and Victoria perform sets that'll take you from dinner to cocktails, easy. Try the signature Mr Monti ($22), a tonic highball made with a white rum base and freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, grapefruit tonic and basil.

Gudetama Café

Gude news everyone, your favourite lazy egg is getting its own themed café in Singapore. It serves dishes such as the 'I'm Cold' smoked salmon eggs Benedict ($26.90) and the 'Are You Busy?' burger ($27.50) – all stamped with the adorable character's face. To bring the menu to life, the café teamed up with local bento artist and blogger Little Miss Bento to co-create the menu and style the dishes, while the food is a joint effort between Joe and Dough and The Soup Spoon.

Cheek by Jowl (new menu)

The modern Australian restaurant has streamlined its menu: there's now only a five-course lunch ($58) and dinner ($88). Dinner starts with baby potato stuffed with smoked eel purée snack that we're told to eat using our fingers. It's touches like these that remind us that Cheek by Jowl is not a fine dining restaurant – it's a place that serves fun, yet fine, food. The mains of roasted scallops, for example, arrive perfectly golden-brown on the outside and just cooked through in the middle.

Fat Prince

Red Tail Bar

Area guides

Things to do

Telok Ayer

Telok Ayer may have taken its name from the Malay community (it translates to ‘bay’ and ‘water’, respectively), but the area was mainly populated by Chinese immigrants back in the day. Originally a coastal road situated along the island’s old waterfront, the street has transformed itself into a buzzing lifestyle district, teeming with restaurants and bars to feed the CBD office crowd. Pay a visit to one of the museums around the area or pop into the lean shophouses that dot the strip, where boutiques, gyms and a dance studio are tucked away. RECOMMENDED: Check out our guide to the Ann Siang Hill area

Amoy Street

Anyone who tells you Amoy Street is 'boring' has clearly never stepped foot down the lane before. Because trust us, it's the complete opposite of that. Previously known for its opium-smoking dens during the British colonial era, the shophouses lined along this one-way street now house chic cafés, bars and even gyms. But if you'd like to have a taste of Singaporean flavour, hit up the hawker centre in the area that's always buzzing with people. RECOMMENDED: Check out our guide to the Ann Siang Hill area

Gemmill Lane

The small stretch between Club Street and Amoy Street – whose namesake is 19th-century banker John Gemmill – is home to a handful of stylish restaurants and bars, making it the perfect spot for a laid-back hangout. Don't stop at the end of the road either, the back alley of Amoy Street has a few hidden restaurants to wind down at for an after-work dinner and drinks sesh. RECOMMENDED: Check out our guide to the Ann Siang Hill area

Ann Siang Road and Club Street

Named after Chia Ann Siang, a wealthy businessman, Ann Siang road is home to restored shophouses (some are still decorated with Peranakan tiles) that house clan associations, restaurants, bars and niche boutiques. There’s also a hidden green space behind the row of shophouses for a quiet stroll. On Friday and Saturday nights from 7pm to 1am, both Ann Siang Road and Club Street – the name comes from the Chinese clubs that used to line the stretch – come to life as the area is closed off to traffic and the crowd spills out onto the streets. RECOMMENDED: Check out our guide to the Ann Siang Hill area